The Redemption Story
by whistler
Summary: Buffy the Vampire Slayer Xover. Buffy comes to Hogwarts during Harry's third year to work for Dumbledore. But will she be able to deal? Chapters 18 have been edited. New chapters coming soon!
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note**: I have no claim over Buffy and Co., nor over Harry and crew. They belong to Joss Whedon and JK Rowling, respectively. Please read and review!

Buffy knelt over her mother's grave for the hundredth time. She went there when she felt particularly weak and these days, that was frequently. God, how had things gotten so bad? Her mom was dead, Dawn had been taken away by her father who suddenly felt paternal after Joyce passed away. The state said she was an unfit guardian and had granted Hank custody. Her family had been destroyed. And it didn't end there. Xander had left Anya at the altar, even though they'd exposed the demon that'd planted the seeds of doubt. It was too hard, he said. And then Tara was shot and killed and that had been unspeakable for all of them. Willow gave her life to the black magic after she watched Tara die. Xander was promoted and his new responsibilities took him out of Sunnydale soon after. Both of them told Buffy how much meant to them, but she'd seen the relief in their eyes. No more vampires, no more demons, no more death. She was happy for them and relieved herself. She wouldn't be responsible for their pain anymore.

Things were harder than ever before. Anya and Spike were the only ones still around and Buffy couldn't really talk to either one of them. Anya was completely focused on the Magic Box, and now that Xander was gone, she'd also resumed her vengeance ways. And Spike, well Spike was just there to beat her up when she wanted to be hit. Otherwise, they didn't even look at each other. So now it was just Buffy and she was just going through the motions. She didn't know how much longer she'd be able to keep living like this. More than anything, she just wanted to talk to her mom.

"Hi mom, it's me. I don't know how you did it. I can believe how much trouble I caused you, and you didn't have a sacred birthright to worry about. I got a letter from Dawn today. She doesn't mind being in LA. She doesn't miss the Hellmouth anyway. But she hates being with dad. I think he's punishing me for causing so many problems. Giles went back to England, Willow died, Xander left, you and Dawn are gone. And everything hurts so bad, you know? And I still have the nightmares. I thought maybe they'd taper off but if anything, they seem to be getting worse. Everything worth fighting for is gone. I wish I had my mommy back." Buffy traced her mom's name and turned to go home.

A strange sight greeted her as she reached her house. Well, a different kind of strange. A large owl perched on the porch railing, so still she thought it was stuffed until it hooted at her. Of all the creatures of the night Buffy had encountered, she'd never seen an owl. She didn't want to scare it away but it didn't seem to be afraid. In fact, it almost seemed like it was waiting for her. This couldn't be normal behavior for owls. Buffy approached it slowly so as not to startle it. It hooted again and stuck out its leg, which had a letter attached to it. And just when she'd thought she couldn't be surprised by anything. She gingerly removed the letter but the owl stayed where it was. Buffy opened the envelope and began to read.

"_Ms. Summers,_

_Please allow me to introduce myself. My name is Albus Dumbledore and I am the headmaster at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. I am writing to you because we find ourselves in a serious situation. Please permit me to explain._

_Thirteen years ago, a dark wizard, named Lord Voldemort, grew so powerful and terrifying that people fear to say his name to this day. He is seeking to regain his old strength and one of his main objectives is to murder of my students, a 13-year-old boy by the name of Harry Potter. The reason for my writing you is this; Mr. Potter is proving to be an exceptional wizard but I would rest easier if I could arrange additional protection for him. I am offering you the position of bodyguard at Hogwarts to protect Mr. Potter. I have heard of your recent misfortunes and I am deeply sorry. Perhaps a change in location and duties would be helpful for you._

_I realize that this information may come as a shock to you so please take your time in coming to a decision. Either way you decide, please send your response back with Rufus, the owl that delivered this letter. If you accept my offer, I will arrange a member of my staff to pick you up on August twentieth, so you will have time to acclimate yourself to the facility before the students arrive. If you decline, then I wish you nothing but good fortune in your future endeavors._

_Very truly yours,_

_Albus Dumbledore_

_Headmaster, Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry_"

Buffy was completely stupefied. School of Witchcraft and Wizardry? There were schools for that? And here Willow'd learned it all the hard way. But the idea was interesting. It wasn't like she had anything keeping her here. Maybe she could persuade Faith to guard the Hellmouth for a while. Faith spent most of her time putting out random fires these days. Maybe Buffy should talk to Anya about this. The vengeance demon might know something.

"Well, Rufus, I'm going to have to think about this for awhile. Could you maybe come back tomorrow and I'll send my response then? Is there anything you need from me or can you take care of yourself? I've never had to take care of an owl before." It hooted twice and then launched itself from the railing. Hopefully it had understood. The next morning Buffy walked to the Magic Box to see Anya. They didn't talk much anymore.

"Hey Anya, have you ever heard of a place called 'Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry'?"

"Oh sure, it's a big school where they teach kids to be witches and wizards."

"What, like any kids? And here I wasted my time at UC Sunnydale."

"No, not just anyone. You have to be born with magical talent to go to a school like Hogwarts. That's why Willow was never invited. She was considered a muggle, or a non-magical person. Why do you ask, anyway?" Buffy showed her the letter. "Wow, so are you going to take the job?"

"I don't know yet. I wanted to talk to you in case you knew something about it or this Albus Dumbledore."

"I've never met him but I know him by reputation. He's a big poo-bah, real good guy. They say he's the only one You-Know-Who was afraid of."

"No, I don't know who, actually."

"You're going to make me say it, aren't you? Alright, _Voldemort_. He was the big bad some time ago but he disappeared when he tried to attack this little boy."

"This little boy's name wouldn't happen to be Harry Potter, would it?"

"That sounds about right. I'm sure this is all on the up and up, if that's what you're wondering. No one is going to forge Dumbledore's name or anything, and he certainly isn't going to pull the rug out from under you." That pretty much sealed the deal for Buffy. Anya might have dating issues, but she had useful contacts in the demon world and her judgement was probably pretty accurate.

"Well, I guess I'll do it then. I'll get Faith to baby-sit Sunnydale and maybe I'll see if I can sell the house. It's not like there's anyone left to use it." They arranged to have Buffy's share of the Magic Box profits sent to Hogwarts and then she wrote a letter to Dawn.

"_Hi Dawnie,_

_How are you doing in LA? I hope you're making friends (ones who won't get you killed) and that you're not being tempted by all those shoes._

_I'm writing to tell you that I've accepted a job at a place called 'Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry'. I know what you're thinking but Anya says it's legit. Apparently there's a 13-year-old wizard who needs help staying out of trouble. Sound familiar?_

_I'm not exactly sure where this school is, someplace in Britain or Scotland I think. An owl delivered my invitation, though, so I guess they don't use the regular post office. I think I'll have a lot to learn, but the change of scenery will be good for me. This place has too many bad memories._

_I am sad to say I'm going to have to sell mom's house, but there's no one here to use it anymore and I can't afford to maintain an empty house. I've included some of mom's things I knew were your favorite. _

_Maybe I can arrange for you to come out there for Christmas! I'm your real family anyway, not dad. By the way, I wouldn't let him see this letter. I don't think he needs to know about all of this, do you?_

_I want you to know that I love you very much and I'm sorry I couldn't stop dad from taking you away. Don't raise too much hell._

_Love, Buffy_"

Over the next couple weeks, Buffy tied up various loose ends. Faith agreed to come back to Sunnydale and prevent any impending apocalypses. The house also sold quickly, but to the low asking price. Property values, just another casualty of the Hellmouth, she thought. She also wrote letters to the remaining scattered scoobies explaining where she went and how to get a hold of her. She felt a strange love/hate relationship with this place. It was the place where she found her best friends and first love, but it was home to terrible loss and heartache. Well, she could always come and visit if she started missing the death.


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Note**: I have no claim over Buffy and Co., nor over Harry and crew. They belong to Joss Whedon and JK Rowling, respectively. Please read and review!

August twentieth finally rolled around and she was ready to go. She'd stuffed all her things into two large trunks, one weapons and one non-weapons. The house was empty and closed up. She sat on the back porch, waiting for who knew what. Dumbledore said he'd arrange a staff member to come get her, but he hadn't said who, how or when. She was almost afraid the whole thing had been a bad joke when out of nowhere, literally, a giant appeared in the backyard.

Buffy was instantly on her feet in attack position, although she wasn't sure it would do any good. The man was twice as tall as a normal person and three times as wide, thanks in part to his thick coat. At least his face seemed friendly, what she could see of it anyway, since most of it was obscured by a wiry mass of black hair.

"Ah, an' yeh must be Buffy. I'm Rubeus Hagrid, the groundskeeper at Hogwarts, an' I also teach the Care o' Magical Creatures class. Dumbledore sent me to pick yeh up and bring yeh to the school. Is that all yer bringin?" He pointed to her trunks.

"Yeah, that's it. But how are we going to get there? And how did you get here?" she asked.

"Portkey! Dumbledore had one to bring me here and another to bring us both back. It's set to go in ten minutes, so yeh could wrap things up. Is there anything else yeh need to do?"

"No, I don't think so, but maybe I'll take one more look through the house just to make sure." Buffy walked through each room in the house, trying to leech out as many happy memories as she could. She lingered in Dawn's room the longest. She might now have been Buffy's real sister in the conventional sense but they were each other's only family. She left her good-byes and walked back to Hagrid.

"All ready now?"

"As ready as I'll ever be, I guess. How do I use a portkey? I don't have much experience with magic, myself. That was always Willow's gig."

"There's nothin' to it. Jus' touch it, all yeh need's a finger and it'll go off when it's supposed to. Which is in about a minute now so let's just grab yer trunks up now and take a hold of this." Hagrid held out a dirty Ping-Pong paddle. "If yeh've never used one before it can be a shock, an' I gotta wan yeh, this one's going to be a doozy. Got a long way to go, after all." Hagrid grabbed one of the trunks and Buffy grabbed the other, and with her free hand, she held the top half of the paddle, feeling stupid. She couldn't imaging how silly this would look if someone saw them. No self-respecting vampire would ever take her seriously again.

It felt like something had hooked a finger behind her bellybutton and was dragging her very fast. Just when she thought she was going to puke, her feet slammed into the ground and she fell over. Hagrid let go of the trunk and helped her to her feet. They were in some sort of village. Little shops peppered the road and people in long cloaks milled about.

Wow, I was expecting something a little more institutional," Buffy said, looking around.

"Nah, we're in Hogsmeade, a wizarding village. We'll take a carriage from here to the castle."

"Castle?"

"Yeh, castle. What did yeh think it was going to be, some broken-down shack?" Hagrid laughed. A small coach carried them through the village. The castle sprung itself from around the bend. Buffy couldn't believe her eyes. She'd seen mountains smaller than that!

"You weren't kidding, Hagrid. That place is huge!" He led her into the entrance hall where he left her trunks.

"I'll make sure these are brought to yer room. Dumbledore wants to introduce yeh to the rest of the staff. They're all excited to meet yeh." That made Buffy apprehensive. How much did they know about her? She wasn't exactly jumping up to share her past with everyone. Buffy lost track of the stairways and corridors and was thoroughly turned around by the time they reached the teachers' lounge.

"Ah, here we are. Jus' go on in, they're all expectin' yeh." Hagrid said.

"You're not coming in? Buffy had known Hagrid less than an hour but in this totally foreign place, an hour was better than nothing.

"No, I got my regular work to be getting on with. But don' worry, yeh'll be fine." He gave her an encouraging smile and walked down he hall. Well, she'd come this far and it was way too late not to knock, so what choice did she have? She rapped on the door, which opened immediately.

"Ms. Summers! You're right on time!" An ancient looking man with a long white beard, half-moon glasses and flowing purple robes greeted her. He walked forward and shook her hand with a jovial smile. "I am Albus Dumbledore, headmaster here at Hogwarts. We are delighted to have you with us. Please, come in and I will make some introductions. This is Professor McGonagall. She is the deputy headmistress and the head of Gryffindor house. She also teaches transfiguration. Here we have Professor Flitwick, who teaches charms. Professor Trelawny, divination, Professor Binns, history of magic." Buffy was shocked to see what looked like a ghost. "Professor Sprout, herbology and head of Hufflepuff house. And last but certainly not least, Professor Snape, potions and head of Slytherin house.

Buffy shook everyone's hand (except Professor Binns). Everyone seemed perfectly friendly, except for Professor Snape. He didn't say anything to her, but seemed to glare maliciously at her as he shook her hand. Buffy, refusing to be intimidated, returned the stare until Dumbledore spoke again. When she looked again, Snape was gazing into the fire. She wondered if she'd imagined the whole thing.

"I expect this has been overwhelming for you so I'll show you to your room. Tomorrow we'll give you a tour of the castle and grounds. I'm sure you've noticed this place almost has a mind of its own. But plenty of time to worry about that later. So if you'll just come with me, I'll bring you to your room." They walked together up more stairs and down more halls until they stopped in front of a large painting of a fat woman in a pink dress.

"This is the entrance to Gryffindor tower, the dormitory for the students for the students in Gryffindor house, which includes Harry Potter. I've arranged for you to have a private room here."

"Uh, color me confused, but in where?"

"Oh, silly me! You need the password to get in. 'galloping gizmos'." To Buffy's amazement, the painting swung out to reveal a doorway. "I believe your room is on the third floor, girls' side. You things should already be there. I'll make sure Professor McGonagall escorts you to breakfast in the morning and after that we can begin the tour. I also want to say I know what you've been through in the last few years, and I'm desperately sorry for all of your loss and suffering. However, I did not tell anyone else of your past. I firmly believe that divulging your past is up to you. I give you my word that the staff and students will hear nothing from me." Buffy looked at him with sad gratitude.

"Thank you," she said, "and goodnight."

"Goodnight, and may you sleep well," he said as they parted ways.


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's Note**: I have no claim over Buffy and Co., nor over Harry and crew. They belong to Joss Whedon and JK Rowling, respectively. Please read and review!

Buffy didn't sleep very much, despite Dumbledore's well wishes, and she was wide-awake when Professor McGonagall came to show her to breakfast.

"Unpacked already, I see. Good for you. I find that living out of trunks is more depressing than moving actually is. If you'll just come with me I'll show you to breakfast." They walked through the portrait, which reminded Buffy of something.

"Professor, am I crazy or are all the paintings moving?"

"No, you're not crazy. In the wizarding world paintings and photographs can move around. You'll see the paintings move from one frame to another. I'm told that muggle pictures don't do that."

"No, all my pictures stand still unfortunately." Buffy's bemusement turned into awe when they reached the great hall. She'd seen some impressive things in her life but this room was something else. Huge buttresses extended to a ceiling that didn't seem to be there. Instead diluted morning sunlight filled the hall. Dumbledore and several other teachers sat at the head table eating or reading the paper. Buffy tried a little bit of everything. She'd been living off cereal and Doublemeat for a long time.

"Well, Ms. Summers, are you ready to go?"

"Yes, but please call me Buffy. 'Ms. Summers' makes me feel like a substitute teacher or something," she said.

"Alright then, Buffy, lets start from the top and work our way down." Dumbledore showed her the astronomy tower as well as the owlery and then they moved on to the many classrooms and corridors on the floors below. Suits of armor creaked at them as they passed and the paintings greeted them courteously. They came across Peeves the poltergeist in the west corridor on the third floor. He was throwing eggs and blowing loud raspberries, but was trying to look innocent as Dumbledore walked through. As they walked, he told Buffy about the history of the school and the ways of the wizarding world. He also told her more about Harry Potter.

"Voldemort attacked Harry when he was just a baby. He killed his parents, James and Lily, but when he tried to curse Harry, it rebounded and almost destroyed him. I believe Voldemort is growing stronger and wants to pick up where he left off, starting with Harry."

"But why would he want to kill Harry in the first place, if he was only a baby?"

"His rise included many innocent deaths in the name of power. It was a dark and terrifying time for everyone. And here are the dungeons. This is where Professor Snape teaches potions. Ah, Severus, you're in! I was just giving Ms. Summers, that is Buffy, the ten-knut tour."

"Fascinating," Professor Snape said without a hint of interest. His eyes were glowing with animosity. "If you'll excuse me, headmaster, I have a lot of work to do," and he swept into his office.

"Boy, he's a regular ray of sunshine, isn't he? What's got him so worked up?" Buffy asked.

"Well, Professor Snape is, shall we say, less than fond of Harry Potter and in his mind your presence here is just another example of the special treatment he gets."

"And does he? Get special treatment, I mean."

"It's not that he gets special treatment, it's just that normal rules don't seem to apply to him. You've got to understand that Harry is famous for being the one who vanquished Voldemort with a failed curse. His father passed on his invisibility cloak to Harry, who enjoys the sense of freedom is gives him. Harry is a talented, resourceful wizard who does tend to ignore the rules when he feels the situation requires it. So yes, due to his unique position, Harry does get special treatment, but not in the way that Severus thinks. He's not without bias on the subject of Harry anyway. He went to school with Harry's father and the two of them rather despised each other. Some scars never fade." They moved to another dungeon. "I had this space converted into a training space for you. This dungeon wasn't being used and it's bigger than most of the other classrooms. Will this suit you?" The room was full of gymnastics equipment, punching bags and targets. Various weapons hung from the walls.

"Oh my god, this is perfect! Better than the Magic Box even," but she stopped, thinking of Giles. Buffy walked around the room, touching and weighing the weapons. She took down the crossbow, aimed the bolt and fired. "Bullseye. I think this will do just fine."

"Excellent. Well, this concludes our tour of the castle. I believe there's enough time before dinner to have a look-see around the grounds. What do you say?" Dumbledore took her to the Quidditch pitch ("A wizarding game played on brooms" he told her), Hagrid's cabin and through the Forbidden Forest.

"The Forbidden Forest is, well, forbidden to all students, not that the rule stops everyone. Harry has been out here any number of times. There are enough dangerous creatures out here to pose a threat to a wandering student, but fear is usually enough to keep most people away. I thought it would be a good idea to introduce you to some of the forest's more neutral inhabitants." Dumbledore led Buffy to a small clearing where they waited for a few minutes. This place had her spidey sense working double time. She could feel things all around her, so many she couldn't sort them out. The trees in front of them rustled and they were joined with one of the most amazing creatures Buffy had ever seen. It was a centaur.

"Good afternoon, Albus Dumbledore," he said in a dignified voice.

"Hello, Bane. I trust you are doing well?"

"As well as one can expect, I suppose. What brings you into the forest today?"

"I would like to introduce you to Ms. Buffy Summers, the slayer, who we've recruited to help protect Harry Potter. Buffy, this is Bane." Bane's penetrating eyes turned to her but Buffy was too stunned to react.

"You're amazing!" she said, but Bane didn't seem to receive this well.

"We centaurs are not some spectacle to be gawked at. We are not some fancy breed of pony!"

"Oh, of course not, that wasn't what I meant at all, please I didn't mean to offend you. I just meant you're amazing in that you're a non-human who's not bell-bent on my decapitation, defenestration or general destruction. Please, I'm sorry." Bane backed down but wasn't entirely pacified.

"Bane, I wanted to introduce you to Buffy because you might find her in the forest from time to time. It's not my wish that she should interfere with the normal creatures in the forest but I would like her to keep an eye open for anything unusual or dangerous. Too many unnatural things are afoot these days to take anything for granted," Dumbledore said. Bane nodded and turned back into the thicket. "Centaurs have a strong sense of honor and justice. They can be dangerous when provoked but they are not by nature aggressive or hostile. If you leave them alone they will most likely leave you alone." They headed out of the forest and back to the castle.

"Sir, when do the students get here?" Buffy asked.

"The Hogwarts Express arrives on September first. Then we hold the sorting ceremony, followed by the welcome feast. After the meal, I'll introduce you to Harry."

"What's the sorting ceremony?"

"A ritual that divides the students into one of four houses. Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff, Gryffindor and Slytherin. Each house is like the students' family while they're at Hogwarts. They live together, eat together and have class together."

"How do you decide who goes into what house?"

"That, my dear, is the whole point of the sorting ceremony. The sorting hat can see inside your mind and choose the house based on your personal characteristics. Ravenclaw is for students who are more studious, Gryffindor is for those who are bravest. Those who are most loyal and hardworking go to Hufflepuff and Slytherin is for those who are cunning and ambitious. Every year each house competes for the House Cup, which is determined by earning and losing points throughout the year. Students can earn points with good deeds and lose them by breaking the rules."

"That makes sense," she said.

"Yes, the students will not be here for more than a week yet, but I thought you'd like some time to get settled in."

"What am I actually going to be doing once Harry gets here? Does he know you've planned all this?"

"Mostly, I just want you to escort him to and from his classes and to keep him out of the worst of the trouble. Harry's too clever and brave to avoid trouble all together, but you might be able to keep him from being completely rash. While Harry's in class I don't expect any danger and the teachers are more than capable but trouble seems to find Harry regardless. And no, he doesn't know about your presence yet and to be honest, I don't imagine he'll be too excited about the idea. Harry has wide streaks of pride and independence and he might feel that I don't think he's able. That's far from the truth, of course, but we can't be too careful." They rejoined the rest of the staff for dinner and then Buffy went back to her room where she rearranged everything she'd put out the night before. When she couldn't push things around anymore she decided to test out her new training dungeon.

She took three wrong staircases before she recognized where she was and found the room. "Geez, I need some fricking breadcrumbs or something. The space was magicked so no one could enter unless she was there, that way no one would be tempted to play with the weaponry. She started warming up with some simple stretches and had moved on to the quarterstaff when she felt someone watching her. It was Professor Snape.

"While I'm sure everyone is in awe of your pugilistic talents, I assure you that I don't know care in the slightest. I find your presence here insulting and will only tolerate you because the headmaster insists. And despite the fact that Dumbledore has also insisted on providing you this room, we are in no way neighbors and I expect that we shall have little interaction. Do I make myself clear?" he said with his customary sneer.

"Look, Professor dude, I got too many issues of my own to care about yours, ok? I'm sure you could curse me to next Sunday if you wanted to, but I could snap your wand before you said, 'boo.' How 'bout you leave me alone and I'll leave you alone, deal?" Snape appeared too outraged to speak and simply stormed off. She worked for a while longer but her heart wasn't in it so she returned to her room. But sleep didn't come any easier. She tossed and turned and dreamt about her mom and Dawn. When she woke up, her eyes felt heavy and scratchy. She may have changed her location but apparently it wasn't doing any good.


	4. Chapter 4

**Author's Note**: I have no claim over Buffy and Co., nor over Harry and crew. They belong to Joss Whedon and JK Rowling, respectively. Please read and review!

Buffy spent the rest of the week exploring the nooks of the castle or training dungeon. Snape looked more unpleasant each time she saw him. She still wasn't sleeping well but she was holding it together. That wasn't new. She'd been doing that for years now.

The staff, with the exception of Professor Snape, was very kind to her. Though she wasn't witch, being the slayer meant there was some magic in her blood so should could understand the basics of spells, eve though she couldn't cast them. They explained the different branches of magic to her.

"Transfiguration is using magic to turn one thing into another. Wizards who can turn themselves into animals are called metamorphmagi." Professor McGonagall demonstrated by turning herself into a cat. Charms, Flitwick told her, was the art of enchanting objects.

"Defense Against the Dark Arts is just what it sounds like, though the new teacher hasn't arrived yet," the gnomish man said. Finally it was September first and the castle was hopping with activity. Mr. Filch was cleaning the last of the paintings and Hagrid was helping with the decorations. All of the teachers were sequestered in their offices, making last-minute changes to their lesson plans. Then the torrent of students poured into the great hall for dinner. Buffy had already eaten and didn't feel like joining the kids yet, so she waited in Dumbledore's office, making small talk with the many portraits. She sat down as she heard someone coming. Professor Dumbledore entered with a wiry, dark-haired boy in tow, who sat in the chair next to her. She glanced at him and could see a lightning-shaped scar above his glasses.

"Harry, I would like you to meet Ms. Buffy Summers. She will be joining us at Hogwarts this year, all the way from California."

"Are you like an exchange student or something?"

"Not exactly. Harry, Buffy is the slayer. Do you know what that is?" Dumbledore asked.

"Isn't it supposed to be a girl who hunts and kills demons and vampires? I always thought that was a myth."

"No, it's not a myth. I asked Buffy to join us this year to help protect you. Harry, you are more courageous and resourceful than many adult wizards, but I think it's important that we arrange for additional protection. Voldemort seems to be preoccupied with you, not to mention that Sirius Black is on the loose, so we need to take precautions. Buffy here will be escorting you while you're at Hogwarts. Now please, I know you don't want the extra attention but Buffy will not be interfering with your life save to keep you out of trouble. She will merely sit in on your classes and quidditch practices. And she already knows about your invisibility cloak, though she'd probably find you even if she didn't. I know you did not ask for all of this but I'm asking you to cooperate."

Harry wasn't thrilled with Dumbledore's proposal. As if people didn't gape at him already. And no offense to her, but she couldn't weigh more than 100 pounds soaking wet, so he couldn't really see what good she'd be able to do. She claimed to be the slayer, but he had serious doubts about that. The look on Dumbledore's face, however, told him he didn't have much choice.

"Fine, but she's not going to hover over me all the time, is she? I get enough grief as it is."

"No, 'she' will keep respectable distance. Don't worry, I'm really not here to disrupt your life at all. I'm just here to be available to kick some butt if the opportunity ever comes up," Buffy told Harry.

"Opportunity?"

"Bad choice of words maybe."

Buffy's duties started as the new term began. Harry grudgingly introduced her to Ron and Hermione but he didn't tell them about her alleging to be the slayer, as Dumbledore said she was. He wasn't too keen on having her around, but eventually they got used to each other. She never bothered him during class (she usually elected to sit in the back) or quidditch practices. She even helped Oliver design new plays. And Buffy had grown fond enough of Harry (which was about as much emotion as she was able to muster up for anything these days).

Besides escorting Harry around, Buffy didn't have much to do. She attended classes she didn't have to listen to, where they gave homework she didn't need to turn in. She found Harry's classes a lot more interesting than anything she'd taken before, except for maybe Professor Snape's class. It was a pity, too because she found potions to be the most fascinating. Buffy's world was grounded by things she could see and touch, even if they were supernatural. She had to be able to touch her enemies to beat them, which was why losing her mom to cancer was so painful.

It was also why classes like charms and divination were beyond her. But she understood potions. All you had to do was measure out the proper ingredients and follow directions. Crush, kill destroy, easy as pie. Professor Snape, however, tried his best to make sure she didn't start enjoying herself. He almost never spoke to her directly, but instead made thinly veiled insults while he badgered Harry.

"So why does Snape hate you so much?" she asked him after a particularly venomous potions class.

"He and my dad were at Hogwarts together and they hated each other, a lot like me and Malfoy. My dad was popular, good in class and at quidditch and Snape wasn't, so I think he was jealous. My dad saved his life at some point and Snape hated owing my dad anything," Harry said as they headed back to the common room.

Meanwhile, Buffy still wasn't sleeping well. What few hours she managed to catch were filled with awful dreams that left her covered with sweat. The worst part of the job, however, were the Dementors that were stationed around the grounds. She'd never encountered them directly, but she could tell whenever she was even near one. Her mind went cold and dead, and she felt like someone threw a freezing wet blanket over her. Sometimes she could even hear the voices of Dawn and her friends screaming in her head. She wondered if that happened to everyone. Dumbledore had explained what the Dementors did, but no one else seemed to be having that reaction. They made her feel worse than she had ever felt before. After one horrible near-miss, she decided to talk to Dumbledore about them.

"Sir, could I talk to you for a minute?" she asked.

"Certainly Buffy, lets go to my office. He led her back to his room and offered her a seat. "Now, what can I do for you?"

"well, it's about the Dementors. Every time I get near one I start hearing and seeing things. It feels awful. At first I thought they effected everyone like that, but now it seems like it's just me. Why is that?"

"Dementors are among the foulest creatures on Earth. They feed on emotions and leave a trail of despair and insanity in their wake. They effect you worse than most because you have memories in your past that others don't. You've experienced some horrifying things that people could not imagine. Those experiences leave you more vulnerable than most. You are wrong about one thing, though. Our own Harry Potter has the same reaction for similar reasons."

"Is there anything I can do to fight them?"

"There is a powerful spell that will repel Dementors but it's very advanced magic that many adult wizards cannot manage. I'm afraid for you there is no real defense, save for avoiding them whenever possible. I'm sure to you that seems like cowardice but I believe that is the only thing you can do. If you were a witch, perhaps it would be possible to teach you the patronus charm, but I'm afraid that's not an option."

Just then, the door swung open and Professor Snape stormed in. His eyes narrowed maliciously as he saw Buffy. "Ah, Severus, you're right on time. Would you mind giving Ms. Summers and I just another minute? Thank you." Snape sneered again as he left the room. "Like I said, Buffy, I believe it is in your best interest to simply avoid the Dementors. They are not susceptible to physical attacks so you will not be able to fight them. Now unless there is anything else, I must meet with Professor Snape" He stood with a smile and gestured toward the door. She passed Snape in the hall. He looked positively murderous. Boy, she thought, if looks could kill even a slayer would be defenseless.


	5. Chapter 5

**Author's Note**: I have no claim over Buffy and Co., nor over Harry and crew. They belong to Joss Whedon and JK Rowling, respectively. Please read and review!

Snape's attitude toward her didn't mellow noticeably in the weeks to come, until one day, it came to a head.

"That will be 100 points from Gryffindor for your insolence!" Professor Snape shouted at Buffy for standing up in Harry's defense. "And if you weren't here under Dumbledore's insistence, I would make sure you were expelled!" Spittle flew from Snape's mouth.

It had started out as a normal, if hostile potions lesson, but it had soon deteriorated into a shouting match. Snape had been vicious to Harry in his usual way, and he had started confronting Buffy directly as well. Buffy never rose to the bait, but she didn't back down either. Today, however, she'd lost her cool. The previous night had been particularly troubling. She'd gotten less sleep than usual and it was filled with especially vivid nightmares about her mom and Dawn. She'd awoken irritable and tense. She'd managed to keep it together until Snape had called both her and Harry belligerent and ungrateful fools who didn't deserve the privileges they enjoyed. At that point a fuse in Buffy's brain blew and she'd jumped out of her seat and started shouting back.

"How dare you call my ungrateful! How do you presume to know anything about me? You don't have the slightest idea what I've been through! You couldn't possibly understand. And you KNOW what Harry's been through and you still treat him like dirt. Well, I'm sorry you and his dad didn't like each other but that's no reason to be a complete ass!" yelled Buffy. Snape took a sharp breath and the vein in his forehead bulged dangerously. After he deducted one hundred points, he gave Harry a detention and threw them both out of class.

"I'm really sorry Harry, he's just such an awful creep I lost my temper, and now you have detention. I'll go talk to Dumbledore and see if he'll let you out of it. It wasn't your fault," Buffy said as they left the dungeon. She spoke with Dumbledore who agreed to let Harry off the hook. Later that evening, while Harry was working on his homework, Buffy took some time to write a letter to Dawn.

"_Dear Dawnie,_

_Holy crap, you wouldn't believe this place! It's a giant castle with turrets and towers and everything. I can barely find my way around because the staircases change and move. There's nothing like being lost at two in the morning, getting bad directions from a ghost. And the painting and pictures move, like the people in them have something better to do._

_Things are going ok here. Harry, the one I'm supposed to be protecting, kind of reminds me of you. Everyone here's been really nice. Well, almost everyone. Professor Snape, who teaches potions, is worse than Principal Snyder. I didn't think that was even possible. But all the classes are really interesting. It's too bad Willow never got to come to a place like this. Maybe things would have turned out differently._

_I hope you're doing good in LA. I'm going to ask Dumbledore if you can visit for Christmas. Most of the students go home for the holidays, so we wouldn't have to worry about your muggle (non-witch) status. You'll really like it here. And we can go into Hogsmeade, a wizarding village, to do some shopping! There's no Neiman Marcus but there's lots of other cool shops. You wouldn't believe some of the things you can buy there. I'll see if I can work it out with the headmaster._

_Love, Buffy_"

That night was another bad one. After some training time in the dungeons, Buffy decided to go to bed. It was pointless to go patrolling. Nothing ever popped up and Dumbledore preferred it if she left the native creatures alone. As long as they weren't hurting anyone the ghoulies should be left to their own devices. The Forbidden Forest was off limits anyway, so the chances of someone being hurt were slim. The only reason she went at all was to give her something to do. Despite the size of the castle, Buffy sometimes felt claustrophobic and stifled. Itching for a fight with nothing to pummel left Buffy feeling tense. Most of all, she just wanted something normal in her life. Things had spun so far out of control, especially after her return from Heaven Buffy longed for something steady and dependable. After the forest, she went to her training room. The punching bag took a lot of abuse, but she felt slightly better by the time she was ready to leave. She hadn't gotten more than five feet with Professor Snape appeared in front of her. This was a good time to fall on her sword, metaphorically speaking.

"Professor Snape, I just want to apologize for my behavior during your class today. I didn't mean to undermine your authority, but I thought what you said was really unfair." Snape wouldn't be deflected.

"You think being the slayer somehow makes you special, that you can do anything you like. You're just like Potter. If it were up to me, you would be out of this school and back at your hellhole in California. Unfortunately, it isn't up to me. But if you ever put so much as a toe out of line, it won't matter what sort of heroine you are. Do you understand me?"

"Geez, I said I was sorry," she said as he stalked away. She began the arduous trek back to her room. She felt the first cold wave as she walked through the entrance hall. Buffy looked to her left, and down the corridor swept one of the tall, menacing Dementors. She turned to run down the opposite hall only to find another deathly figure gliding towards her. It was then her vision began to fuzz and she heard faint voices of her mother, Dawn, Angel…the tortured voices of the people she loved. With tears streaming down her face, and the Dementors closing in, Buffy backed her self into a corner of the room, trying to make herself as small as possible.

The voices in her head were getting louder and she heard screaming and crying. Scenes began flashing before her eyes; Her parents' divorce, finding her mother dead on the couch, the moment she sent Angel to hell, Dawn being taken away by Glory, and so much more. Buffy started to relive all of her horrible memories, over and over again. Completely lost in her own mind, Buffy was totally unaware of the booming voice that called "EXPECTO PATRONUM!" and she did not see the silvery light that drove the Dementors out of the castle. Dumbledore rushed to Buffy's side as Professor McGonagall ran down the hall.

"Albus, what happened?

"Dementors, Minerva. Somehow two of them entered the school and encountered Buffy. It looks as if they pushed her into some kind of trance." He was still examining the trembling girl.

"Will she be alright?"

"I don't know. With any luck she'll snap out of it herself. If not, we'll have to take more drastic steps. We need to get her to the hospital wing." He conjured a stretcher to carry her upstairs. Madam Pomfrey examined her more closely than Dumbledore had.

"Can you do anything for her, Poppy?" Professor McGonagall said.

"We'll start her on a hot fudge drip right away. Otherwise all we can do is wait and see if she can break out of it herself." Dumbledore sighed and began to pace.

"What is it Albus, do you know something?"

Dumbledore sighed and shook his head. "I'm afraid conventional magics will not work. She is trapped inside her mind, but she's not physically hurt. No potion or charm can help her. Fortunately the Dementors were not able to perform the kiss, so her soul is still safe. There may be some chance to save her, but it will take powerful magic to do it."

"What do you mean there's a chance? What do you know? Is there something you're not telling us?" There was a pause as Dumbledore leaned over the bed, staring at the frail shaking body that lay there. He smoothed the bed covers as he said barely above a whisper, "This has happened to her before. Not the same, of course, there were no Dementors, but she was in a similar trance." McGonagall looked at him sharply as he continued.

"Last year, a hellgod named Glorificus abducted her sister Dawn and slaughtered dozens of men in a matter of seconds. It pushed Buffy into a state much like this. Her friend Willow, a powerful wicca, performed something like legilimency to bring her out of it. I'm afraid we're going to have to rest to something similar. Minerva, would you be so kind as to bring Severus here, please?" McGonagall nodded and left the room, to return several minutes later with Professor Snape, who looked harassed. Dumbledore asked the others to leave.

"You wanted to see me, headmaster?" He hadn't noticed Buffy yet.

"Yes, Severus. I'm sorry to say that Ms. Summers has had a rather bad encounter with a couple of Dementors." (Snape's scowl deepened as he saw her on the bed). "She appears to be stuck in a catatonic state."

"And what do you want me to do about it?"

"You are the most accomplished legilimens in the school. I'm asking you to go into her mind and bring her back."

"Headmaster, it's been so long since I've used legilimency, I'm not even sure I could do it anymore. And even if I could, it's too dangerous. Her state is such that I could potentially crush her mind, making it impossible to salvage anything. And even if she doesn't sustain any damage, she may see me as a foreign invader and lash out at me. The risk to both of us is just too great. Plus my reputation is bad enough without people saying that I destroyed Harry Potter's bodyguard," Snape said.

"You underestimate Buffy's strength. I do not believe she will break. She is trapped in horrors most people could not imagine and to leave her without trying is unacceptable. I know you have the reputation as something of a monster, but I also know that's not what you are. But to leave Buffy at the mercy of her memories would be truly monstrous. Please, Severus, I'm asking you to put aside your hostility and help this girl as only you can." The conflict was visible on Snape's face, and eventually mercy won out.

"Alright, I'll try headmaster, but I can't guarantee anything. There's no telling whether this will work or not."

"Of course, Severus. No one will blame you if this fails. Do you need anything?"

"Just quiet and privacy. I don't know how long this is going to take."

"I'll place an imperturbable charm around the bed so no one disturbs you." Dumbledore drew the curtain and left the hospital wing. Snape sighed and stared at the girl shaking on the bed. He didn't really want to do this but the sooner he tried, the sooner he could quit. He raised his wand. "Legilimens."

He was standing in some kind of courtyard. At the end of the room was a large statue that looked like a big ugly gargoyle. Snape could hear clashing sounds, like metal on metal and he turned to see Buffy sword-fighting with a large man. Buffy fought furiously but the man seemed to have the advantage of size and strength. They moved all around the room until he knocked the sword from Buffy's hand and her back was against the wall.

"Here you are, no friends, no weapon. What's left?" the man said and thrust his sword in her face. Buffy miraculously stopped the blade between her hands.

"Me." She pushed him back and found her sword again but Snape's attention was drawn back to the statue. Its mouth opened and a swirling vortex formed and grew. Now Buffy had the upper hand and they were in front of statue when she raised her sword to deal the final blow. But suddenly the man's eyes glowed and he fell to the ground. He was shivering when he looked up.

"Buffy?"

"Angel?" She lowered her weapon. Meanwhile the vortex was still growing.

"What's going on? I don't remember."

"Shh." She caressed his face and leaned in to kiss him passionately. "I love you," she said when they pulled apart.

"Buffy, what's going on?"

"Shh. Close your eyes." Then she took a step back and drove the sword through Angel into the statue behind him. She backed up looking horrified as the maelstrom swallowed Angel and then he was gone. Buffy fell to her knees sobbing. The scene shifted and now he was standing in a house. Buffy walked in the door.

"Mom, I'm home!" she yelled. She saw the vase of flowers by the door and oo'ed in glee. "At least some guys are still getting it right," she said. "Hey flower-getting lady!" She looked through him up the stairs. She turned into the living room where the body of a handsome middle-aged woman was lying awkwardly on the couch. "Hey mom, whatcha doin?" Silence. "Mom? Mom…mommy?"

Severus watched helplessly as Buffy rushed in over her mother's body. As he watched her panic he began to realize that Dumbledore was right. Neither he nor anyone else knew what she had been through. He walked into the room and put his hand on her shoulder. "Buffy," he said. "Leave me alone!" she screamed and pulled away from him. Then the scene changed again.

Now he was standing on a tower high above the ground. It was dark out but the sky flashed violently with an unholy light. Buffy was standing in front of a 14- or 15-year-old girl and Snape could just make out what she was saying.

"Dawnie, you have to listen to me. You have to take care of them now. The hardest thing in this world is to live in it. Live, Dawnie, for me." She kissed the girl's forehead and spun toward the end of the plank. Everything seemed to be happening in slow motion. As she rushed past him, Snape could feel every drop of fear, pain, hate and love and he knew their mind link was complete. Her memories flashed again and again until he knew them all and it almost broke his heart. They were in a muggle hospital standing over an unconscious boy and Buffy appeared to be a vampire. He had to get through to her.

"Buffy, you have to snap out of it! None of this is real, it's all because of the Dementors. We're still at Hogwarts!"

"You're lying!"

"No! Albus Dumbledore hired you to protect Harry Potter, remember? We have to get out of here."

"You're just trying to trick me. Just leave, that's what everyone else does." Snape grabbed her arm.

"I'm not going to leave you, don't you understand that? I saw everything, ok? I understand now and you're not alone. I'm not going to leave you." He tried to shake some sense into her. He could see the tears in her eyes.

"Everyone leaves me," she whispered.

"I won't." She was crying hard now and he held her close. And then they were back in the hospital wing. Buffy sat up slowly, looking disoriented. When she looked at Snape, her face contorted in pain and she sobbed into her hands. He moved from the chair and sat next to her on the bed, where he wrapped his arms around her. He couldn't believe this small girl had lived through so many horrors and had beaten death twice, once to her cost. Even the Dark Lord hadn't managed that. She was far more complicated than he ever would have though. He was touched, not only be her undeniable pain but her deep sense of devotion and loyalty. She was a far cry from the wet rags he had to teach. She inspired him.

"I won't leave you."


	6. Chapter 6

**Author's Note**: I have no claim over Buffy and Co., nor over Harry and crew. They belong to Joss Whedon and JK Rowling, respectively. Please read and review!

Buffy stayed in the hospital wing for another two days, during which time Madam Pomfrey stuffed her full of chocolate. By the time she left, she didn't want to see so much as a chocolate chip cookie ever again. She returned to the Gryffindor common room where she met a very concerned Harry.

"Buffy! Are you ok? What happened? Nobody would tell us anything." Ron and Hermione were close behind him.

"Yeah, I'm ok, I just had a nasty brush with a couple of Dementors, that's all." Harry looked at her with sympathy. He knew first hand what Dementors could do. Over the next couple weeks, Buffy became more vibrant and involved. Her only defense against the terrors in her life was to push them down, but they never went away. Having shared her burden with somebody, even unwillingly, had been cathartic. The only trouble now was that she didn't know how to act around Professor Snape. He'd seen the most intimate and painful details of her life and she felt his compassion But Harry's potions class had become a game of hide and seek. She'd spend half the class praying Snape couldn't see her and the other half seeking him out. She felt like she was in the sixth grade again.

Snape had changed as well. He no longer swept around her like a vengeful bat during potions class, or making snide, underhanded comments from the side of his mouth. But he never really seemed to be far away either, although it would take a more observant eye than most of the students possessed to notice. He often glanced at her when he thought no one was looking or found some reason to hang around the corner where she sat, usually under the pretense of criticizing a nearby student's potion. Unfortunately for Harry, however, Snape had not changed so much as to stop badgering him. Eventually Harry said something.

"I don't know what you did to him Buffy, but couldn't you have asked him to stop picking on me too?"

"What do you mean?"

"Nothing, I guess. Things just seem different between you two now, ever since you ran into the Dementors."

"Well, Snape did help me out there. Things are a little awkward now because he saw some things I'd rather no one saw."

"What, like naked things?"

"No! I'm the slayer, Harry, I've got some pretty unhappy memories floating around up here," she said, pointing to her head. "You know a little about what that's like, don't you? Anyway, Snape and I are at a weird crossroads where neither one of us knows how to act, that's all." But Harry had a point. Finally Buffy couldn't take it anymore and she decided to go see him. During her time in Sunnydale, scary things had been her bread and butter but for some reason talking to Snape was scarier than Glory.

Now that she'd made up her mind, time seemed to speed up and before she knew it, dinner was over and the students were heading back to their dorms. While Harry played exploding snap with Ron, Buffy left to go to the dungeons. She was finally able to get around Hogwarts confidently and she quickly found herself in from of Snape's office. She only hesitated a moment before knocking.

"Enter!" Buffy opened the door and walked in. He didn't look very happy to see her. "Can I help you?" although he sounded like that was the last thing he wanted to do.

"Um, I just came by because I wanted to say thank you. If it wasn't for you, I'd probably be insane, lying in St. Mungo's or something. But 'hey thanks' hardly seems like enough, I mean, for what you did, but I had to say something. I know you don't like to be bothered but I wouldn't have come by if I didn't think it was important." Oh man, she was rambling. This was going worse than she though. Why hadn't she practiced a speech and why did he have to be staring at her like that?

Snape just stared at her for a moment, but Buffy was barely able to meet his eyes. "Whatever you think you know about me is irrelevant." His voice was cold. "And I can assure that it was not my idea. Legilimency is risky magic and could have gone terribly wrong for both of us. I did what I did out of respect for Dumbledore, not some misplaced affection for you. Now if you'll excuse me, I have a lot of work to do." His eyes dropped back to the parchment in front of him.

"Oh, of course, I understand. I'm sorry." Snape was still staring at his desk when he heard the door close behind her, and he let out a sigh. He didn't need to be a legilimens to know he'd hurt her. And the funny thing was, he hadn't even meant it. It was an automatic reflex, like a sneeze. Being nasty most of the time and meaning it is a hard habit to break. But his feelings toward Buffy weren't nasty at all. He felt especially guilty knowing that so many people in her life had left her at one point. He had to admit to himself that his feelings for her had changed significantly. The things he'd seen in her mind touched him more than he could say.

In his experience, people were selfish and brutish creatures with the capacity to love only themselves. But Buffy had shown him a different side of human nature. Sure, she'd made mistakes and hurt people, but he'd never encountered selflessness like hers before. He hadn't known people like her existed. And now she'd hurt her and he'd have to make it up to her.

When Buffy returned to Gryffindor tower, Harry was just leaving for quidditch practice.

"There you are, I thought you'd forgotten. Hey, are you ok?" Harry said.

"Yeah, I'm just tired, that's all. Come on, let's go to the quidditch field."

Quidditch was something out of Buffy's comprehension. It was like something out of "Bewitched." People zooming around on brooms, balls trying to knock people off and "quaffles"? No thanks. She preferred to keep her feet solidly on the ground or at least near the ground. Harry clearly loved it, though. His whole face lit up when he picked up his broom. He tried to explain it to her once.

"It's just something I never had to work at, you know? Like I belong up there, I was meant to do it. Does that make sense?"

"Yeah, I can understand that," she said. After practice, the rest of the Gryffindor team had gone back to the castle but Harry stayed to work on some new moves. He was just coming in to land when Buffy noticed someone walking toward the field. As Harry touched down, she walked to meet whoever it was. To her amazement she realized it was Snape. What, had he come to degrade her some more?

"What are you doing here? Don't tell me you came to watch Harry practice," she said.

"No, I came to talk to you actually. I wanted—" but Buffy never found out what he wanted because at that moment Harry screamed. Buffy turned and ran automatically and Snape followed her. Harry was being manhandled by a grotesquely misshapen monster.

"What the hell is that?" she yelled as she ran.

"It's an ogre. It must have wandered out of the forest." Snape had his wand out but Buffy reached the ogre first. It dropped Harry and went for her, but she was too quick. All of a sudden, Snape rushed up from behind and brushed her aside.

"Snape! Don't!" but he wasn't listening. He tried to stun the monster but all it did was enrage it. Its arms swung violently and knocked Snape to the ground hard and he was still. Buffy took advantage of the ogre's confusion.

"Harry, throw me your quidditch robe! Hurry!" He whipped off his red robe and tossed it to Buffy, who leapt on the staggering ogre's back. She wrapped the robe around its neck and pulled as hard as she could until the ogre wheezed and fell to the ground dead, with a terrific whump. Harry was shaken but in one piece. Snape, however, was still laying motionless on the ground. Buffy couldn't see any serious injuries, nor could she feel any broken bones so she picked him up and carried him back to the castle with Harry in tow.

Later, after Snape was delivered to the infirmary, Buffy and Harry gave their full report to Dumbledore, who sent Hagrid to take care of the dead ogre.

"Thank you, Buffy, your services have been invaluable tonight. And I'm sure Severus will thank you in his own time," Dumbledore said.

"I'm not so sure about that, headmaster, but thanks all the same. I was just doing my job." Dumbledore smiled.

"Just so. Well then, I suggest you and Harry return to your dorms. It's late and no doubt Harry's friends would like to hear about his latest adventure." They left Dumbledore's office.

"God, Buffy, that was amazing! I've never seen anything like it. That ogre was huge and you killed it like some kind of bug! Could I learn to do stuff like that?" Harry was jazzed to finally see the slayer in action. Buffy wasn't quite as excited.

"'Fraid not, Harry. You could learn the martial arts, I suppose, but the strength and speed bit are part of the slayer gig. I'd stick with the magic if I were you," she said.

"Killjoy."

After Harry went upstairs, Buffy sat on her bed, but decided to take a walk instead. She found herself on top of the astronomy tower rehashing the day's events. How could she have been so stupid? She'd known what he'd been about, and there was no reason to think anything had changed. Just because he said he wouldn't leave her didn't mean he meant it. He probably just said that to get her to stop crying. And why would he come all the way down to the quidditch field? Apparently making her feel bad was just that important that it couldn't wait until class. She heard a noise behind her. It was him again. His gall was just incredible.

"If you think I don't know you're there, then you really don't know what a slayer is," she said with her back to him. Somehow he managed to make his shuffling sound shameful when he walked up behind her.

"I just wanted to apologize for my behavior. I'm accustomed to dealing with students with mush for brains and it's not often that one of them comes to thank me. What I said to you was totally uncalled for, and I'm sorry." They were standing side by side now, but neither one would look at the other, until Buffy slipped her hand into his.


	7. Chapter 7

**Author's Note**: I have no claim over Buffy and Co., nor over Harry and crew. They belong to Joss Whedon and JK Rowling, respectively. Please read and review!

After that night in the tower, even the students couldn't miss the change, especially in Snape. He was calmer and not as quick to anger. That's not to say the old Snape was gone for good. Neville was still scared to death and he still picked on Harry, ("I suppose it was too much to hope for"). They all saw how he looked at her but none of them really understood it. One afternoon Draco Malfoy stopped by during Snape's prep time

"Yes, Draco?"

"Sir, Filch asked me to tell you that your cupboard supplies have arrived."

"Thank you Draco." But the boy didn't leave right away. "Is there something else?"

"Sir, some of the Slytherins are starting to talk about you and Buffy. You-know-who always said muggles and muggle-borns were the worst kind to associate with and I know my father would hate to see you tarnish your reputation by hanging around with her."

"Mr. Malfoy, just because you are in my house does not give you the right to speak to me about my personal matters. But your father needn't worry. There is nothing remotely unprofessional between Ms. Summers and myself. And you are to speak of this nonsense to no one, do you understand me?" Draco nodded and left the room, but Snape was troubled. If the students had started to notice, it wouldn't be long before the Dark Lord did too. He'd have to talk to Buffy.

Meanwhile, Buffy was sitting in the Gryffindor common room reading "100 Basic Poisons and Their Antidotes," which Snape had lent her.

"You and Snape have become very friendly lately. I hope you're not fraternizing with the enemy," Harry said. Buffy just rolled her eyes.

"He's hardly the enemy Harry, and we're not 'fraternizing.' Snape and I have just come to a professional arrangement that's all. We work together, after all, so there's no sense in butting heads all the time," she said.

Later that evening, Snape joined Buffy in her dungeon for a work out. He'd been helping her train for a couple of weeks and he seemed to enjoy it, as far as she could tell, but tonight he looked distracted.

"Buffy, before we get started, we need to talk. I'm sure Dumbledore has explained to you the Dark Lord's intentions, but there's something you should know. When the Dark Lord was in power, he had a loyal group of supporters called Death Eaters. Some he recruited, others he enspelled with unforgivable curses. No one knew who was a death eater and who wasn't. The only way to identify the members was by a tattoo. For reasons I don't wish to get into, I joined them." Snape rolled up his sleeve to reveal a tattoo on his left forearm. It was a skull with a snake emerging from its mouth.

"I came to realize the error of my ways and have since become a spy for Dumbledore. My position requires the appearance of unwavering support for the Dark Lord. Your position here as Potter's bodyguard makes you the Dark Lord's enemy, which, in turn, makes you my enemy." The last words seem to stick in his throat. "It's a necessary fiction to fool him into thinking that I am still loyal to his cause, though my dislike for Potter is real enough." Suddenly his shoes had become very interesting.

"I understand the need for secrecy. During my time on the hellmouth I had plenty of experience looking at the big picture. The mission is what's important, not you or me. I'll be careful to leave you alone," she said. Snape took her hand.

"I don't want you to leave me alone, even though I know that would probably be wiser. I just think we need to use more discretion in our interactions. The students are starting to talk and we can't give them any reason to think our conduct is anything but professional. But if you'd rather have nothing to do with me I'll understand. Most people wouldn't be caught dead in the company of a death eater, even a reformed one." To his surprise, Buffy laughed.

"One of the other things I leaned on the hellmouth is that peoples' past is not necessarily who they are now. When my watcher was young, he and his reckless friends raised a demon, Eyghon, for power and glory, and they marked themselves with tattoos, similar to yours actually. Of course, it came back to haunt him later but by then he was wiser and not as reckless and was able to help us banish the demon. Not before his less-than-reformed pal tattooed the mark on me so it would go after me instead, but that's another story. Anyway, everyone deserves a chance at redemption. Everyone falls from grace at some point, but how will they ever change if you don't give them a second chance?" To reinforce her point, Buffy kissed him lightly on the mouth. "Now I thought I'd work on my throwing knives tonight. Want to be my target?"

A couple of weeks before Christmas, Buffy approached Dumbledore.

"Sir, could I ask you a favor?"

"By all means, Buffy."

"Would it be alright if I invited my sister Dawn here for Christmas? She's not a witch, but she's not really a muggle either and she's lived on the hellmouth so she knows all about magic. And most of the students would be gone so she wouldn't be disturbing anyone. She's the only real family I have left, and it would be nice to spend Christmas with her. Harry's staying here, so I can't go back to California."

"I'd be delighted if she would join us. The students don't know about her real nature so she'll have to curb her muggle tendencies to avoid any awkward questions, though."

"Are you kidding? It'll be nothing but 'charms this' and 'potions that.' I'll never get her to shut up. Thank you so much!" she squealed. She didn't waste any time rushing to the common room to write her sister.

"_Dawnie,_

_Guess what? I asked Dumbledore (the headmaster) if you could come out for Christmas and he said yes! I hope you can convince dad to let you come. It's not like he knows why I'm really here, or even where 'here' is. But Harry and his friends are going to be here too, so you'll get to meet them. You just won't believe this place. And we can go shopping in the village. You won't find some of this stuff in Bloomindales, I can tell you that._

_Anyway, I hope you can make it. I'll make sure this owl sticks around for a while so you can send your response back ASAP!_

_Hope you're doing well_

_Lots of love, Buffy_"

Buffy took the letter to the owlery where she picked a big tufted owl that looked like it would be up to a long journey.

"Can you stick around until she write back?" she asked the bird. It hooted once, which she took to mean it understood. Then it took off through the window. It seemed two weeks had never gone by so slowly in her life. She knew that it would take a while to get to California in the first place, then it had to wait for Dawn's reply, and then it had to fly all the way back. None of this logic helped her impatience though. She felt like a little kid waiting for the prize promised by collected box tops. Finally her answer came.

"_Buffy,_

_I CAN COME! It took some fast talking, but Dad finally said yes! I told him that you couldn't leave cause you were too busy with school, but you found some cheap round-trip tickets so I could visit you instead. I think he has a business trip anyway so he probably won't even be home. Once I explained everything I think he was relieved that I had somewhere to go for the Holidays. I can't wait to see you! Do you think I can learn any magic while I'm there? Is Harry cute? All the boys here suck._

_See you soon!_

_Love, Dawn_"


	8. Chapter 8

**Author's Note**: I have no claim over Buffy and Co., nor over Harry and crew. They belong to Joss Whedon and JK Rowling, respectively. Please read and review!

Winter holiday had finally come and most of the students prepared to go home. A handful of students remained, including Harry, Ron and Hermione. Ron's family was going to visit Charlie in Romania and Hermione had convinced her parents she needed to study for exams. Despite the lack of students, Hogwarts hummed with an air of excitement. However, no one was more excited than Buffy.

It took her a moment to realize what it was she felt. She hadn't been excited by anything in a very long time and it showed during her training session with Snape. She almost sliced off his head with the sword she used for practice. His arms windmilled and the sword flew out of his hands and clanged loudly on the floor.

"Oh my god! I am so sorry! Are you ok?" She rushed to his side. His hand clutched his throat, feeling for any sign of a wound. Severus looked into her wide, fearful eyes and almost laughed at her worried expression.

"No, I'm fine. I suppose that's what I get for working with the slayer. I must say though, I've never seen you quite so…zealous. Any particular reason for your exuberance?"

"Didn't I tell you? My sister Dawn is coming to visit over Christmas break. She's coming tomorrow!"

"No you didn't mention that actually. How long is she going to be here?" He suddenly seemed apprehensive, and busied himself with tidying the weapons. Buffy, too far in her own delight, failed to notice the change in Severus' demeanor.

"She'll be here for most of the holiday. I think she's going back home a day or two before the students come back. I'm so glad she was able to talk dad into letting her come. He doesn't really know exactly where I am or what I'm doing here so I was afraid he'd start asking awkward questions." She continued to babble as they left the training dungeon.

Severus listened and nodded with more patience than he showed most people, but he felt troubled. Her sister was visiting? He'd never met Buffy's family, except in her own memories. How much had she told Dawn about him? What would she think about him? He couldn't imagine that she would like him or his relationship with Buffy. He was suddenly very nervous, but as he listened to Buffy ramble, he felt reluctant to dampen her spirits, particularly since this was the happiest he had ever seen her.

They reached Buffy's room where she stopped talking for a moment to look at him.

"I promise you'll like her Severus. She's not like the rest of the 'mush heads' you have to teach here. She gets her wise-ass-ness from me, probably, but she's really smart and dedicated. She'll make a really good watcher some day and some slayer is going to be very lucky to have her."

"I'll be waiting with bated breath," he said with conviction he didn't really feel. Buffy smiled at him. "Well, I should get to bed. I have to be at Diagon Alley in the morning to meet Dawn at the Leaky Cauldron. Hagrid's going to meet her at the airport and they're going to portkey here," she said. She gave him a quick kiss and another smile and entered her room.

Severus turned to go to the dungeons, his face melting into its usual hateful mask. There was an uncomfortable feeling bubbling in the pit of his stomach, which puzzled him until he realized what it was; fear. He could scarcely believe that he, who had been lying to and spying on the Dark Lord for many months, could be afraid of a teenager. But there it was, the almost paralyzing uncertainty and sense of no escape. Tomorrow he'd be meeting "the family."

Buffy woke early, but not because of the nightmares this time. She sped through her morning routine and was ready to go far earlier than her scheduled appointment with Dumbledore. He had set up a portkey to Diagon Alley and another one to bring them back. She whittled some stakes until she'd gotten so many splinters she realized she couldn't concentrate.

Dumbledore was waiting for her when she reached his office. "Ah, Buffy, there you are," he said, his eyes twinkling. "I'm surprised you didn't arrive fifteen minutes earlier." Buffy had the temerity to blush.

"Well, I was ready to go about an hour ago, but Giles used to say that ninety percent of the slaying game was waiting. Believe it or not I have learned some patience." Dumbledore just chuckled. He moved to his desk and picked up and old penny loafer and handed it to her.

"Hagrid's already gone to Heathrow to meet Dawn and he'll portkey to the Leaky Cauldron to meet you at 10:30. It's 10:00 now and your key is set to activate in five minutes. Hagrid has the return portkey set for 4:00. I figured you'd like some time to show Dawn around Diagon Alley. Her familiarity with magic should make it an educational trip. Do you have any questions?"

"Do the students and staff know that Dawn's coming?"

"The staff is aware, I believe, although the students have not been informed. I don't imagine there will be any trouble explaining her presence. If I'm not mistaken, your portkey should go in three…two…one." As the last syllable passed Dumbledore's lips, Buffy felt herself pulled in some aimless direction. She crashed into the ground when she stopped.

"I think I'd rather apparate," she muttered, as she tried to look like she'd meant to lose her balance. As far as she could tell, she was in one of the vacant rooms at the Leaky Cauldron. Through the window she could see cloaked people strolling in the street below. She went downstairs where a gap-toothed bartender was wiping down glasses.

"'Ello there miss! You must be Buffy. Dumbledore said you'd be comin' in today. Pickin' up your sister, eh?" Buffy nodded. "Well, Hagrid ain't been through yet. Can I get you somethin' while you wait?"

"No thanks, I'll wait till Dawn gets here." Tom nodded and turned his attention back to the glass in his hand. Buffy had been sitting for about five minutes when Hagrid's large form suddenly filled the room, and she heard the terrorized squeak from somewhere behind the folds of his coat. Hagrid twisted and turned as Dawn fought her way to the front. She squealed again as she saw Buffy and bolted into her sister's arms. They hugged silently for several moments and there were tears on both of their faces when they broke apart. "Tom, I think we could use a couple of Butterbeers now," Buffy said, without taking her eyes from Dawn.

They spent the rest of the afternoon browsing the goods that Diagon Alley had to offer. They spent a great deal of time in Zonko's Joke Shop and Honeydukes, where Dawn picked up various gags and candies for the remaining Scoobies. She even bought some blood lollipops for Spike.

"Hey, just because you two don't talk anymore doesn't mean that I can't," Dawn said, defending her would-be older brother. They rounded off the afternoon back at the Leaky Cauldron for another Butterbeer before heading back to the castle for dinner. "You're never going to believe Hogwarts, Dawnie. Sunnydale had some crazy stuff, but you've never seen anything like this." Hagrid, who, until this time, had been following at a discrete distance, now came forward.

"An' speakin' of Hogwarts, it's almost 4:30 so we should be getting' back."

"Of course Hagrid. Time flies when you're having fun," Buffy said, smiling at Dawn.

They portkeyed back to the castle where Dawn's eyes nearly popped out of her skull.

"You've lived here for the past several months and never sent me so much as a picture? You are so dead!" Tiny fists of rage pelted Buffy's shoulder. Hagrid assured them that Dawn's luggage would end up in Buffy's room so she was free to take Dawn to dinner. Her eyes bulged further as they entered the great hall.

"Look," Buffy pointed at the ceiling. "It's enchanted to look like the sky outside." Dawn's jaw worked up and down like a fish out of water. Buffy poked her in jest. "If you're not careful something's going to fly in there." She steered Dawn toward to Gryffindor table where Harry sat with Ron and Hermione, and a few other remaining housemates. "Guys, I'd like you to meet my sister Dawn. Dawn, this is Harry Potter and his friends Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger. They're what you might call Hogwarts' answer to the Scooby Gang." Comprehension bloomed on Dawn's face as the got the private joke and she laughed. The others exchanged confused looks. They chatted congenially, discussing the differences in magical education between England and the States.

"So what do you think Dawn? What's different about practicing magic here versus California?" Harry asked. Buffy glanced at her sister apprehensively. Fortunately, Dawn wasn't stupid.

"Well, I haven't even been here for twenty four hours yet, so I can't really compare. But I can tell you from experience that the magic in California can really keep you on your toes. It seems like I learn something new every day." Her answer, though a little cryptic, seemed to satisfy the trio. Dawn also stealthily changed the subject. "So Buffy, is it me or is that one teaching making with the scowling at you?" She followed Dawn's gaze to the head table.

"Oh, that's Professor Snape. Don't worry, he looks like that all the time. You'll get a chance to meet him later along with the rest of the teachers." After dinner Buffy took Dawn on a tour of the castle, in all its labyrinthian glory. "You'll probably want to stick with me or Harry or his friends if you're wandering around the castle. Things have a way of moving around here and it's real easy to get lost. I learned that the hard way. There's nothing quite like panicking at two in the morning because you can't find your way back to your room," Buffy said. Suddenly a wet raspberry erupted from above their heads as Peeves materialized. "Especially with this bastard floating around. Go away Peeves, or I'll call the Bloody Baron." He sputtered again and popped out of sight.

"Poltergeist?" asked Dawn. Buffy nodded. The tour ended in the dungeon Dumbledore had equipped for her training room. "You've gotta check this out. This set up is better than the Magic Box, but don't tell Giles I said that." Buffy started showcasing her fancy new weapons.

"So what's up with the Crank Monster from dinner? He looked about as friendly as an uber-vamp on a bad day," Dawn said as she played with some throwing knives.

"Severus?" asked Buffy.

"Ooh, on a first name basis are we?" Buffy rolled her eyes.

"Anyway, Severus just has a lot to deal with. There's stuff going down here and he's stuck with the role of the double agent. Needless to say it's a lot of stress."

"Well, that makes sense. You do have a history of going for the ones with the trauma," Dawn said wickedly. Buffy's head snapped up, her mouth agape. "What, you think I couldn't tell? Please, it's written all over your face. You wanna tell me what happened or are you going to make me invent fantastical stories that are inevitably worse than reality?"

"Brat! Well, it all started with these awful things called Dementors…"


End file.
